Power lift



Aug. 5, 1952 J. H. STARR POWER LIFT Fiea oct. 28, 146

NVEIVTO? JOHN H. STARR Tann/'srs Patented Aug. 5, 1952 Deere YanWisconsin-A A Bruni; Company,A aycorporationl of The present inventionrelates generally to agricultural implements and more particularly topower operated lifting and/or controlling apparatus embodying a quickattachable and quick detachable ram or `cylinder unit for raising,lowering, and/or adjusting. earth working tools.

The object and general nature of the present invention is the provisionof a grain drill or similar implement having a new and improved cylindermounting whereby the operation of attaching and detaching the ram orcylinder unit is simplified and made easier'tov accomplish thanheretofore. More particularly, it is a feature of this invention toprovide a ram mounting. ywhich is so constructed and arranged as toprovide a convenient and easily operated means for locking the tools outof their operating position prior to the disconnection of the ram unitfrom the implement, and further, it is an important feature of thisinvention to provide ram mounting mechanism wherein there are no looseparts that might become readily disconnected and lost and in which thelocking part is permanently associated vwith the ram mounting means andis simply shifted from one position to another when connecting ordisconnecting the ram or cylinder.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a grain drill equipped with a ram mountingmechanism constructed according to the principles of the presentinvention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the ram mountingmechanism in greater detail.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the ram mounting mechanism shown in Figure 2.i

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken generally along the line '4-4 ofFigure 2.

Figure 5 shows the ram mounting parts in the position they occupywhenthe ram or cylinder is disconnected and the furrow openers locked intheir raised position.

' Referring now to the drawings, particularly Figure 1, the implement inwhich the principles of the present invention have been illustratedcomprises a grain drill, indicated in its entirety by the referencenumeral I, which is made up of a transversely extending seed box mountedon f aclaiins. (cl. sav-5o) a framework 2 and carrying seed dispensingunits of conventional'construction which'deposits the furrows opened bya plurality of furrow openers 3. `The latter are of conventionalconstruction being mounted on individual dragbars I and, when inoperating position as shown in Figure 1, arev yieldably urged downwardlyrelative to the frame 2 by pressure springs 5 acting against pressurerods 6 which are pivotally connected at their ends with pressure arms 1that are fixed to a rockshaft 8- mounted for movement byI suitablebearings and brackets carried by theframe 2. The rockshaft 8 carries anarm 9 to which therear en d of a pair of links II are pivotallyconnected, and the furrow openers are grain in raised and lowered, oradjusted relative to thev frame 2 as to depth of operation, by power.transmitted to the rockshaft B- Vthrough the links II.

Power for raisinghthertools 3 of the grain drill I may be taken .fromthe tractor to which the drill normally is hitched, and preferably thetractor includes a hydraulic ram in the form of a pistonV andcylindervdevice exibly connected with the tractor, asby a pair of horselines, and, while normally remaining a permanent part of the tractor, isadapted to be mounted on any one of several implements that mayselectively be hitched to or mounted on the tractor. Considered broadly,the tools orv furrow openers 3 represent any implement operating meanswhose position is to be adjusted or variedby a detachable hydraulic unitor the like actuated by power derived from the tractor. YThe presentinvention is concerned primarily with new and improved means forreceiving such a hydraulic unit and providing for easy and quickattachment of the cylinder to the implement and detachment of thecylinder unit from the implement. v y

As shown in Figure 1, the ram unit is indicatedy in its entirety by thereference numeral I5 and is connected with-the tractor by a 'pair ofhose lines I6 and I'I. Theramunit`l5 is of conventional construction, sofar as *the present invention is concerned; including a cylinder I8 anda piston connected to the inner end of a piston rod i9, the flow offluidto' and from opposite ends of the cylinder I8 through thev hose lines I6and I'I being under'the control 'of suitable valve means (not shown)mountedonthe tractor. The outer end of the cylinder I8 andthe outer endof the piston rod I9 have attachment means in the form ofpairs ofapertured lugsZI and 22. A bracket 24 is fixed to one of the angles 25that makeup the grain drill frame 2, and at its upper end the bracket2,4 carries' a" short sleeve 26, Iforming a tubular part which'isadapted t'ogvreceive ahpin =21 of the quick detachabletype;

rare apertured to receive a pivot pin 36 by means of which the armmember 30 is swingably connected to the grain drill frame l. Theoutermost end of the arm member 30 is apertured to receive a pivotmember 38 which pivotally connects the forward end of the actuating linkto the arm member 30.

A short bushing or tubular member in the form of a ferrule 4| is weldedto one of the plates 3| and 32 making up the arm member 36, while theother member is apertured to receive the member 4|. Swingably mounted onthe ferrule 4| is a part or section in the form of a second arm member43 the outer end of which carries a short sleeve section 44,' preferablyof the same size and proportions as the short sleeve 26 on the upper endof the forward bracket 24. The sleeve member 44 is adapted to receivethe rear lugs 22 on the piston rod of the hydraulic ram unit I5, beingpivotallyconnected thereto by means of a quick detachable pin 45,preferably of the same construction as the pin 21 mentioned above.Disposed between the two plates 3| and 32 which make up the arm member36 is a bushing or short sleeve section 46, which forms the portion ofthe arm member 36 receiving the pivot pin 38,-v `and the sleeve orbushing 46 forms an abutment againstjwhich the rear edge of the arm 43is adapted to bear -in one of its positions relative to the arm member30. In this position, a set of openings 41 in the plates 3| and 32 arein registry with an opening 48 formed in the arm member'43. Y f

lin-order to lock the arm member 43 to the arm member 30, thereisprovidedL according to the present invention, optionally `operable meansin the form of -a U-shaped pin member 50 one leg of which is elongatedand is extended through the jtubuiar member 4|. A spring 52 surroundsthelegf5| vand vis vheldin Aposition between the arm 'plate 32 Vand awasher 53 that is held in place by a cotter 54 or other suitable form ofattachment. Thepin member 5U is provided with a secondleg'' whichis'adapted'to pass through the openings 41 and 4'8 when they are inregistry, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, that is, when the arm 43 liesagainst the abutment 4.6 on the arm member .35, and when the pin 50 isin this position the leg 56 is held in the registering openings 41 and48'by the action of the spring 52. This locks vthe twofarr'n members 3|]and 43 together so that, Awithfthf'a ram unit i6 mounted in position,Veritension or ,retraction thereof serves to swing the interlcked armmembers and hence serves' vto Vact through vthe ylink kI| to rock thepressure* shaft 8,'ei`th'er raisingA or lowering the furrow .openersorswinging the pressure arms 1 in a' directionto compress the pressuresprings 5,' thereby'holding ther furrow openers to their depth Aofoperation against any tendency to ride out of the ground, as whenencountering Ya hard spot in the'eld.' The'depth ofoperation of thefurrow openers '3 may be adjusted by suitable operation ofthe hydraulicvvalve vonthe tractor,

4 extending or retracting the ram unit I5 the amount necessary to securethe desired depth adjustment.

When it is desired to disconnect the hydraulic ram unit I5 from thegrain drill, as when preparing to detach the grain drill from thetractor, the ram unit is extended its full amount, which brings theparts into the position shown in Figure 2, with the tools in theirraised position. The corresponding movement ofthe arm member 30 Ybringsa second set of openings 58 in the arm member 3U in a position behindthe abutment member 34. With the ram unit l5 extended, the pin 50 may bewithdrawn against the bias exerted by the spring 52 and then swungaround until the leg 56 of the pin 50 is in a position to enter theopenings 58 lbeh-ind the abutment member 34 on the grain drill frame.Then by releasing the pin 50 the leg 56 enters the openings 58 and liesin the position just rearwardly of the rear end of the yabutment member34. Next the pressure in the hydraulic cylinder unit |5 is relaxed. Thispermits the weight of the tools to rock the arm 30 forwardly a slightamount until the weight causes the leg 56 to bear against the rear edgeof the abutment 34. Thus, the weight of the tools is sustained by thepin 50 and the abutment 34. Then by retracting the piston rod a slightadditional amount, the army 43 swings away from the abutment 46 so thatall pressure on the pins '21 and 45 is relieved so that these pins mayreadily be detached and the hydraulic ram unit i5 lifted from theimplement.

When vreattaching the tractor and the hydraulic unit l5 to the graindrill, the reverse of the steps outlined above is performed. With thepin 56 in place Vlocking the arm member 30 against forward movementrelative to the frame of the grain drilL by virtue of the leg 56 lyingagainst the rear edge of the abutment 34, the cylinder unit i5 mayreadily be mounted in position since the arm member 43 is free to swingrelative to the arm member 30. After the cylinder is mounted in place,the valve of the hydraulic unit is operated so as to extend the ram unitl 5 the full amount. This takes the load oi of the leg 56 of the pin 59as soon as the arm 43 is forced against the abutment sleeve 46 and theweight of the tools is taken up. Then the leg 56 of the pin 56 may bewithdrawn from the openings 58 and swung upwardly and rearwardly untilit is in a `position to pass through the openings 41 and 48 which arenow aligned or in registry, .since the arm member 43 lies against theabutment 46. The spring 52 serves to releasably hold the leg 56 of thepin 50 in the registering openings t1 and 4B, Vthus locking the arm 43to the arm member 30, whereupon the raising Vand lowering `of the tools,and their depth of `operation, are controlled .by the ram unit l5. It isto be noted that the pin member .561s merely swung from one positiontoanother in attaching and detaching the ram I5, and since it is neverentirely `detached from the arm member 36, there is no likelihood of thepin 56 ever becoming lost or misplaced.

While I have shown and described above the preferred structure in whichthe principles of the present invention have been incorporated, it is tobe understood that my invention is not to be limited to the particulardetails shown and described above, but that, in fact, Widely differentmeans may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of myinvention.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an agricultural implement, frame means, an arm swingably mountedthereon, a second arm swingably connected with said rst arm, abutmentmeans carried by one of said arms and engageable by the other forlimiting movement of one arm relative to the other in one direction,registering openings formed in said arms and adapted to be brought intoregistry when said other arm engages the abutment means carried by saidone arm, and a U-shaped pin member having one leg swngably carried bysaid one arm member in coincidence with the axis oi swinging movement ofthe second arm member relative to said first arm member, said swingablepin having a second leg adapted to be inserted in said registeringopenings for locking said arm members together.

2. In an agricultural implement having a part adapted to be moved andframe means with respect to which said part is movable, an arm movablymounted on said frame means and adapted to be operatively connected withsaid implement part to move the same, a second arm movable relative tosaid first arm, a tubular part serving as a pivotal connection betweensaid first and second arms, there being a set of openings formed in saidarms and said openings being adapted to be brought into registry in oneposition of said second arm relative to said iirst arm, a U-shaped pinhaving an elongated leg disposable in said tubular part and a second legdisposable in said openings when they are in registry, spring meansacting against said iirst leg for urging said second leg into a positionentering said openings, a second opening formed in said rst arm andspaced from said tubular part so as to receive said second leg of saidpin when the latter is in another position relative to said first arm,and abutment means on said frame means in a position to receive saidsecond leg when said pin occupies said second position, for

limiting movement of said first arm in at least one direction.

3. In an agricultural implement, frame means, a part shiftably connectedwith said frame means, a second part shiftably mounted relative to saidrst part, said parts having openings adapted to be brought intoregistry, a stop carried by one part and engageable with the other partwhen said openings are in registry so as to facilitate bringing saidopenings into registry, a U-shaped pin member having one leg mounted onsaid rst part and a second leg spaced from said first leg so as to beadapted to be inserted through said openings when they are in registryfor locking said parts together, a second opening formed in said onepart and spaced from the pivot axis of said one leg so as to serve asmeans for receiving said second leg when it is disconnected from saidregistering openings, and an abutment oarried on said frame means in aposition to be engaged by said second leg when the latter is received bysaid second opening means, whereby said second leg serves to limitmovement of said part relative to said frame means.

JOHN H. STARR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 649,444 Good May 15, 1900 777,099Hillyard Dec. 13, 1904 1,271,316 Hill July 2, 1918 2,167,421 Jann et al.July 25, 1939 2,324,840 Hipple July 20, 1943 2,344,123 Brown et al Mar.14, 1944 2,532,577 Silver et al. Dec. 5, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 108,038 Australia July 19, 1939

